<p>The McInstosh Inn is nothing fancy. Comparable to your standard no-frills roadside Interstate motel, but clean enough, in a safe location, and convenient to Swat. I would put it in the “serviceable” category.</p>
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<p>The “Blue Route” I-476 that runs north/south past Swarthmore and connects I-95 in Chester to the Penn Turnpike north of Bryn Mawr was not opened until 1991. It’s construction was one of the most hard-fought environmental/neighborhood battles in history, with the court-challenges lasting eleven years. The Swarthmore College and the surrounding towns were among the leading opponents, but the entire road runs through expensive old residential neighborhoods with very few commercial centers that would attract hotel development. Plus, the zoning in these neighborhoods is intensely anti-development. The Blue Route may be the most environmentally-friendly interstate segment in the country, with restricted grades, seamless paving, and extensive noise barriers:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.asphaltinstitute.org/upload/Blue_Route_Model_Coexistance_Man_Nature_Auto.pdf[/url]”>http://www.asphaltinstitute.org/upload/Blue_Route_Model_Coexistance_Man_Nature_Auto.pdf</a></p>
<p>All of the hotel districts were well established along I-95 and I-76 long before the Blue Route construction began.</p>
<p>The other factor working against hotel development in the immediate Swat area is that the village of Swarthmore and the surrounding town of Springfield are both “dry”. The village of Swarthmore did just pass a zoning ordinance allowing a small hotel (max 80 rooms), located on a college property (across the railroad tracks, down by the athletic fields) to serve alcohol in its restaurant. This opens the door for the construction of a Swarthmore Inn owned by the college and operated by a joint venture partner. They’ve identified a local hotel development company as a potential partner, but it’s not clear that the project is economically viable or when it might actually proceed. The College would like it to happen, but does not want to lose money on the deal.</p>